Sidebar: Cook Inlet gas production down 6.2%

Natural gas production in Cook Inlet averaged 198,445 thousand cubic feet per day, mcf, in May, down 7,098 mcf, 6.2%, from an April average of 204,584 mcf per day and down 10.4% from a May 2019 average of 221,353 mcf per day.

Seven fields account for 81% of gas production in the inlet, led by Hilcorp Alaska’s Kenai field, which averaged 32,489 mcf per day in May, down 880 mcf, 2.6%, from an April average of 33,368 mcf per day, but up 3.5% from a May 2019 average of 31,398 mcf.

Hilcorp’s Ninilchik field averaged 30,207 mcf per day in May, down 12%, 4,106 mcf per day, from an April average of 34,313 mcf per day and down 28.1% from a May 2019 average of 42,031 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 29,516 mcf per day in May, down 8%, 2,551 mcf, from an April average of 32,067 mcf but up 4% from a May 2019 average of 28,395 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River field averaged 23,684 mcf per day in May, up 2,864 mcf per day, 13.8%, from an April average of 20,819 mcf and up 3% from a May 2019 average of 23,003 mcf per day.

The Hilcorp-operated Beluga River field averaged 17,692 mcf per day in May, down 511 mcf, 2.8%, from a May average of 18,204 mcf and down 33.2% from a May 2019 average of 26,486 mcf per day.

Kitchen Lights, in May operated by Furie and as of a June 30 closing by HEX Cook Inlet, averaged 13,715 mcf per day in May, down 75 mcf, 0.6%, from an April average of 13,790 mcf per day, and down 4.3% from a May 2019 average of 14,329 mcf.

Hilcorp’s North Cook Inlet field averaged 13,110 mcf per day in May, up 271 mcf per day, 2.1%, from an April average of 12,839 mcf, but down 8.4% from a May 2019 average of 14,306 mcf per day.

The 15 remaining fields account for 19% of Cook Inlet gas production.

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 10,104 mcf per day in May, up 959 mcf per day, 10.5%, from an April average of 9,145 mcf and up 30.7% from a May 2019 average of 7,734 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Cannery Look averaged 5,223 mcf per day in May, up 763 mcf per day, 17.1%, from an April average of 4,460 mcf and up 47.9% from a May 2019 average of 3,531 mcf per day.

AIX’s Kenai Loop averaged 4,362 mcf per day in May, down 868 mcf per day, 16.6%, from an April average of 5,230 mcf and down 14.5% from a May 2019 average of 5,102 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Deep Creek averaged 3,980 mcf per day in May, down 94 mcf, 2.3%, from an April average of 4,074 mcf per day and down 14.1% from a May 2019 average of 4,633 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 3,566 mcf per day in May, up 42 mcf, 1.2%, from an April average of 3,524 mcf per day, and up 31.2% from a May 2019 average of 2,718 mcf.

North Fork, operated by Cook Inlet Energy, a Glacier Oil and Gas company, averaged 3,472 mcf per day in May, down 121 mcf, 3.4%, from a May average of 3,593 mcf and down 15.6% from a May 2019 average of 4,111 mcf per day.

BlueCrest’s Hansen field averaged 2,780 mcf per day in May, down 672 mcf, 19.5%, from an April average of 3,453 mcf per day, and down 65.4% from a May 2019 average of 8,030 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 2,191 mcf per day in May, down 929 mcf, 29.8%, from an April average of 3,121 mcf and down 35% from a May 2019 average of 3,373 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Lewis River averaged 1,083 mcf per day in May, down 22 mcf, 2%, from an April average of 1,105 mcf per day but up 255.8% from a May 2019 average of 304 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Middle Ground Shoal averaged 434 mcf per day in May, up 77 mcf, 21.6%, from an April average of 357 mcf per day and up 931.8% from a May 2019 average of 42 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ivan River averaged 322 mcf per day in May, down 24 mcf, 7.1%, from an April average of 346 mcf per day and down 29.8% from a May 2019 average of 459 mcf per day.

Amaroq’s Nicolai Creek averaged 219 mcf per day in May, down 41 mcf, 15.8%, from an April average of 260 mcf and down 46.9% from a May average of 413 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Nikolaevsk averaged 208 mcf per day in May, up 20 mcf, 10.8%, from an April average of 187 mcf but down 64.1% from a May 2019 average of 578 mcf per day.

Operations are being suspended at two small fields operated by Cook Inlet Energy, a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

West McArthur River averaged 50 mcf per day in May, down 8 mcf, 13.1%, from an April average of 58 mcf per day and down 55.8% from a May 2019 average of 113 mcf, while Redoubt Shoal averaged 37 mcf per day in May, down 234 mcf, 86.3%, from an April average of 271 mcf and down 86% from a May 2019 average of 265 mcf per day.

Data from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which reports production on a month-delay basis. For natural gas AOGCC reports measurements in thousands of cubic feet, mcf.

Cook Inlet natural gas production peaked in the mid-1990s at more than 850,000 mcf per day.

- KRISTEN NELSON